Method of assembling extensible elements in particular through a continuous process on garment portions and articles obtained thereby

ABSTRACT

The method of the invention enables to render stretchable a part of a garment, without wrinkling at rest. The method consists in shaping a garment portion; cutting out an extensible element to the desired shape; applying said element without any stretching onto said garment portion; and affixing said element without any stretching onto said garment portion along at least one portion of the periphery of said element.

United States Patent [1 1 Pierron et al.

1 METHOD OF ASSEMBLING EXTENSIBLE ELEMENTS IN PARTICULAR THROUGH ACONTINUOUS PROCESS ON GARMENT PORTIONS AND ARTICLES OBTAINED THEREBY[75] Inventors: Claude Raymond Pierron; Robert Zuccaro, both of Epinal,France {73] Assignee: Les Applications Industrielles Vosgiennes Sapivog,Uxcgney, France 22 Filed: Dec.7, 1971 211 Appl No; 205,652

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Dec. 11, 1970 France .1 70.4482]Dec. 3, 1971 France 7143468 [52] US. Cl 2/243 R [51] Int. Cl. A4ld [58]Field of Search... 2/243 R, 224 A, 232, DIG. 4, 2/270 [56] ReferencesCited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2.61%,71'44 11/1952 Root 2/221 l I l l l I IMar. 26, 1974 3,l56 927 11/1964 Grimm et al 2/243 R 3,166,764 1/1965Stedman ct al.. 2/224 A 3.312.982 4/1967 Pitman 2/232 3,487,833 1/1970Senser 2/224 A 3,500,479 3/1970 Picrron i i i 2/243 R 3.591.865 7/1971Scnscr v 2/224 A 3,663,962 5/1972 Burger 2/224 A FOREIGN PATENTS ORAPPLICATIONS Australia 2/270 Switzerland 1. 2/232 Primary ExaminerAlfredR. Guest Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Kenyon & Kenyon Reilly & Carr Chapin57] ABSTRACT The method of the invention enables to render stretchable apart of a garment, without wrinkling at rest. The method consists inshaping a garment portion; cutting out an extensible element to thedesired shape; applying said element without any stretching onto saidgarment portion; and affixing said element without any stretching ontosaid garment portion along at least one portion of the periphery of saidelement.

14 Claims, 21 Drawing Figures PATENTEUHARZB I974 SHEET 3 OF 4 METHOD OFASSEMBLING EXTENSIBLE ELEMENTS IN PARTICULAR THROUGH A CONTINUOUSPROCESS ON GARMENT PORTIONS AND ARTICLES OBTAINED THEREBY The presentinvention relates to a method of assembling exensible elements possiblyendowed with elasticity on garment portions in particular according to acontinuous process lending itself to automatic operation,'such forexample as jackets, overcoats, blouses, trousers or pants, overalls,dresses or gowns, skirts, head-dresses and hats, foot-wear, stockings,socks and like articles.

The invention is further concerned with the articles thus obtained.

Conventionally for assembling a resilient part such as a wristband orcuff, a waistband, and so on, on a garment, the stretchable orresilientpart is at first cut into a generally rectangular shape and then thispart is positioned on and secured to the garment while stretching it tomake the length of the end to be secured correspond with the connectinglength of the garment. After having been connected, this part assumesagain substantially its initial shapethereby resulting in a wrinkling ofthe garment portion where the assembling has been effected. Articles arethus obtained which comprise an extra thickness due to wrinkling whichresults in difficult ironing and folding. It is therefore particularlyinteresting to provide such articles without any extra thickness owingto a special mounting of each extensible patch on the garment articleinvolved.

The method according to the present invention enables elimination ofsuch a drawback and is applicable to any garment portions, for exampleto the assembling of an extensible element forming a waistband orwaistband section, to the assembling of an extensible element at thechest, the waist, the back, the crotch, and so on as well as to theconnection of an extensible member of an end portion of a garment, forexample a wristband or cuff, a collar, a turn-up cuff of trousers.

This method is characterized in that it consists in carrying out thefollowing steps:

shaping a portion of the garment in that area of the garment which is tobe made stretchable and resilient, into a configuration fitting to thecorresponding body portion;

providing in said portion a suitable opening with or without any removalof material from said portion, so as to allow for a sufficientstretching either for the passage of larger body portions therethroughor for a greater ease;

cutting out an extensible and possibly resilient element according tothe desired shape from a suitable material enabling said sufficientstretching or expansion and possibly a tight fit on the body portioninvolved;

applying this extensible and possibly resilient element and securing itwithout any stretching on said garment portion,

so that at the end of the process, said element is secured at saidopening while covering same partially or entirely or on any e nd part ofthe garment forming said garment portion or also on a fold or pleat ofsaid garment portion.

Said shaping of said garment portion and said cutting out of saidelement may of course be carried out independently, i.e., in any orderof succession. Moreover the shaping of said garment portion may becarried out entirely or in part prior to the application of said elementof after securing same to said garment portion.

According to an embodiment, said opening may be replaced by at least onefold or pleat.

In another embodiment no opening is formed and the aforesaid element isdirectly adapted for application on said garment portion whichconstitutes an end part of the garment.

The connection is effected as by adhesion or gluing, welding (inparticular through heat welding), sewing or stitching, and so on of bothoverlying layers consisting of said garment portion and said elementfitted thereto, over all or a part of the contour of this element but atleast at locations where the tractive forces occurring upon stretchingof said element through slipping and/or keeping the garment over thebody of an individual and/or during any motion of said individual areconcentrated while he is wearing this garment under such conditions thatthis motion may be carried out with much more ease than under the usualconditions.

The connecting areas consist for example of the end edge of a terminalpart of the garment in the case where the extensible element is adaptedfor application on such a terminal part or of the edge of said openingwhich may in particular result from a cutting without any removal ofmaterial e.g. a slit, or of the edge at a fold or of a pleat provided insaid garment portion. Of course in the case of a connection throughadhesion by gluing, the gluing operation which forms the first step ofthe connecting process should be carried out before the application ofthe extensible element to the garment part, such a gluing operationbeing possibly effected on said garment portion and/or said element.

It will be readily appreciated that the method of the invention enablesa manufacture of garment articles wherein a suitable stretching and/ortight fit is achieved at any portion of the body or of a limb and thiswithout any wrinkling when static state is restored because of thefollowing factors: configuration of the garment portion fitting to thecorresponding body portion, size of the opening provided, quality of thestretchable and possibly resilient material, positions of the connectinglines of said element on'the garment portion with respect to theopening.

It should be noted that in a particular case, said opening or slit maybe located on a terminal part of the garment such as a wristband or cuffor a leg end and need not be surrounded on all sides by the materialforming said garment.

According to another characterizing feature of the present invention,the opening, provided with its resilient stretchable element, is coveredwith a piece or patch of material generally made from the same materialas that of said garment portion and having the shape of a flattened tubeexhibiting a longitudinal opening generally coinciding with saidopening.

Further characteristics, objects and advantages of the present inventionwill appear as the following description of some embodiments given byway of non limiting examples only proceeds with reference to theaccompanying drawings wherein:

FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 illustrate three diagrammatic views showing theprinciples of the various operating steps of the conventional method;

FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 illustrate three diagrammatic views showing the variousoperating steps of an embodiment of the method according to theinvention;

FIGS. 7a and 7b show diagrammatic views illustrating in more detail thisembodiment as applied to the continuous manufacture of a sleeve with apossibly stretchable wristband or cuff;

FIGS. 8a and 8!) show diagrammatic views illustrating a secondembodiment of the method according to the invention as applied to themanufacture through a continuous process of a sleeve with a wristband orcuff which is stretchable and possibly resilient over one portion onlyof the periphery of the cuff;

FIG. 9 is a diagrammatic view showing a third embodiment of the methodaccording to the invention, wherein that garment portion on which theextensible element is adapted, comprises a slit;

FIG. 10 is a view in cross-section taken upon the line XX of FIG. 9through said garment portion;

FIG. 11 is a diagrammatic view showing a fourth embodiment of the methodaccording to the invention, the garment portion involved being formedwith a pair of parallel slits;

. FIG. 12 is a view in cross-section taken upon the line XII-XII of FIG.11 through said garment portion;

FIG. 13 is a diagrammatic view illustrating a fifth embodiment of themethod according to the invention, the garment portion involvedcomprising a large number of discontinuous parallel slits;

FIG. 14 is a view in cross-section taken upon the line XIV-XIV of FIG.13 through said garment portion;

FIG. 15 is a diagrammatic view showing a sixth embodiment of the methodaccording to the invention, the garment portion involved comprising anopening and flattened tubular piece;

FIG. 16 is a view in cross-section taken along the line XVIXVI of FIG.15 through said garment portion;

FIG. 17 is a diagrammatic view illustrating a seventh embodiment of themethod according to the invention, the garment portion involvedcomprising a rectangular opening;

FIG. 18 is a diagrammatic view showing an eighth embodiment of themethod according to the invention, the garment portion involvedcomprising a box pleat; and

FIG. 19 is a diagrammatic view illustrating a nineth embodiment of themethod according to the invention, the garment portion involvedcomprising a simple pleat.

In the various Figures, the arrows with the letter E located thereaboveshow the direction of the tractive forces upon stretching whereas thehatched areas correspond to the zones of connection either by gluing orbe welding or by seam lines.

7 In FIGS. l-3 which illustrate the conventional method, the terminalportion of garment 1 to which an element 2 of stretchable material is tobe applied at edge 3, the element 2 is of substantially rectangularconfiguration. The side 4 of this element 2 is of substantially smallerlength than the edge of the garment part. This side 4 is stretchedlengthwise as seen in FIG. 2 and until its length is substantially thesame as that of edge 3 of the garment while the side opposite side 4 isleft at its original length or slightly greater length still, however,smaller'than the length of edge 3. In this stretched condition of side 4of element 2, said stretched side is secured as by adhesion, sewing orthe like between overlapping portions of edge 3 and side 4 of element 2.When adhesion is complete, as seen clearly in FIG. 3, the tendency ofelement 2 is to retract towards its original shape, thus formingwrinkles in the garment adjacent its edge 3. Practice of the presentinvention as illustrated in FIGS. 4-19 inclusive eliminates wrinkleformation in the portions of the garment part.

Referring now to FIGS. 4 to 6, the general principle of the method ofassembling according to the invention will be described.

FIG. 4 shows a garment part 1, for example, whose end edge 3 is to bejoined to a stretchable element, part of patch 5 previously shaped todesired form as by cutting from a sheet source thereof. The patch 5 isof a substantially trapezoidal configuration, both opposite sides and 6bbeing for example slightly curved inwards so as to provide an upper ofgreater length than the parallel edge 60. The length of the end 6 issubstantially equal to that of the edge 3 of the terminal portion of thegarment I so that upon assembly they may be positioned in alignedparallel relationship. The connection proper of the stretchable part 5onto the terminal portion of the garment 1 at and adjacent its edge 3 isachieved as follows: the extensible element 5 is laid flat and withoutany stretching onto the terminal part of the garment 1, the edge 6 ofthe element 5 being arranged in overlapping relation to the edge likedimensioned 3 (FIG. 5). The aforesaid parts 5 and I are then connectedtogether for example by gluing, stitching, welding or the like at thecommon overlapping areas defined by the edges 3 and 6 (FIG. 6). It isafterwards possible and according to care of use to connect together theopposite edges 6a and 6b so as to provide a flared stretchable materialsleeve at the connecting area owing to the trapezoidal configuration ofthe patch 5. The sleeve thus obtained provides a graduaily tighteningfit when it is applied onto a limb of the body.

The embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 7 a and 7b is applicableto a continuous moving-band or flow production line for the manufactureof sleeves with extensible and possibly resilient wristbands or cuffsmade from a supply roll of material 7 (FIG. 7a). The web of flexiblematerial such as a textile or synthetic material or paper is unwoundfrom a supply provided for example in the conventional form of a roll 7.As it is being fed, the web '7 is perforated transversely and uniformlyso as to form successive transverse cuts 8. Application of glue alongand upstream of each cut 8 over a transverse gluing area 9 is thenaffected. The extensible and possibly resilient wristband or cuff 10provided by being cut out from a strip of stretchable material, is thenlaid down with its long end edge 6 onto said glue bearing area 9 andthen secured by adhesion. The following step consists in effecting aslant glue application along the line 11 corresponding substantially tothe length of a sleeve.

The web 7' thus obtained is then folded back unilaterally along the line12 and both edges of the web '7' which is thus folded back are stucktogether along 11 glue bearing line. The tubular sheath thus resultingthen is cut obliquely along 13 corresponding substantially to the gluingline 11 and then transversely at 14 in extension of the transverse cut8. The scrap 15 is re moved and then the tubular sheath is severed at 16to provide the sleeve members 17. The slope of the generating line ofthe extensible sleeve portion or cuff 10 thus obtained is in extensionof the arm-hole line 17'. Thus sleeve elements 17 with cuffs orwristbands are provided which are ready to be positioned onto a garmentarticle member such as jackets, overalls, blouses, dresses or gowns, andso on.

While this embodiment has been described with reference to a sleevewristband or cuff 10 is readily conceivable that it is applicable to thestretchable and tightening terminal portion of foot-wear, socks,stockings and so on.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 8a and 8b, the web of flexible material 7'aunwound from the roll 7a is cut out at regular intervals so that windows8a are provided; three of the edges 9a of these windows then haveglueapplied thereto on that side of the web 7a which is seen on FIG. 8aand resilient extensible elements 10a cut out from a flexible,stretchable and possibly resilient material are then deposited onto thatside at said windows with overlapping of said glue bearing edges so thatthe downstream edges 10'a of said elements coincide with the downstreamedges of said windows (right-hand side of FIG. 8a). As shown on theleft-hand side of FIG. 8b, the aforesaid side which will become theinner side of the sleeve receives a glue deposit along the line 11aending at B at some distance from the edge 10'a in extension thereof;the web 7" is then folded back along its longitudinal axis 12a so thatboth flap panels thus provided adhere to each other along the line 11a.The tubular sheath thus provided is then cut transversely along the lineCDC passing through the edge l0'-a of the extensible and possiblyresilient element 10a as well as slantwise along the line 110 that isalong AB (right-hand side of FIG..8b). The scrap 15a is then removed.Thus sleeve elements 17a with a stretchable and possibly resilientwristband or cuff are provided, the extensible portion extending over afraction only of the periphery of the cuff. These elements 17a may thenbe positioned onto a garment article member such as a jacket, anoverall, a blouse, a gown or dress, and so on.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 9 and 10, the extensible and possiblyresilient element 18 has been secured as for example by the seam lines19 along a b c d onto the garment portion 20 so as to cover a slit 20aprovided therein; for the sake of clarity of thedrawings, the element 18has been shown in FIG. 10 at a substantially increased distance from thegarment portion 20.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 11 and 12, the stretchable and possiblyresilient element 21 has been secured as for example by adhesion alongthree of its edges ef, fg and gh and also along a middle line 22 (alongij) onto the garment portion 23 wherein a pair of parallel slits 24a and24b has been provided; these slits have been provided prior to applyingthe element 21 but according to an alternative embodiment, these slitsmay also be provided although less easily after said element 21 has beenaffixed.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 13 and 14, the extensible and possiblyresilient element 25 has been stuck along both of its longitudinal edgesId and mn onto the garment portion 26 which was already provided with afine network of parallel and discontinuous slits designated by thegeneral reference numeral 27.

The embodiment of FIGS. 15 and 16 corresponds to the application ontothe edges of an opening 28 of an extensible and possibly resilientelement 29 and to the connection thereof through heat welding along thefree edges 0p, pq and qr of the opening 28 onto the garment portion 30wherein said opening 28 is formed. On that side of said garment portionwhich is located opposite that whereto the element 29 has been secured,in front of the opening 28, a patch consisting preferably of the samematerial as the garment portion 30, in the shape of a flattened tube 31formed with a longitudinal opening of a shape and size correspondingsubstantially to the opening 28, this tube being also welded along thefree sides of the opening 28 as well as towards the end of said openingto its side ends sp and qt.

According to a modification of the embodiment of FIGS. 15 and 16, theopening in the patch 31 in the shape of a flattened tube could have beengiven a width different from that of the opening 28, any one of theseopenings being for example narrower than the other and forming inparticular a simple slit or each one of these openings could have beengiven the shape of'a slit, both slits thus obtained being preferably infront of each other.

In the embodiment of FIG. 17, the opening 38 of the garment portion 33is surrounded on all sides by the material of said portion and it iscovered by an extensible and possibly resilient element 34 secured asfor example through gluing or sewing onto the four edges of said openingalong u v v u u; it is readily conceivable that such a structure mayalso be used with possible variations in the shape and size of theopening at the location of an elbow, of a knee or of the chest.

In the embodiment of FIG. 18, the garment portion 35 comprises insteadof an opening of the aforesaid kind, a simple box pleat 36 transverselyof which has been applied and affixed a plurality of stretchable andpossibly resilient elements in the shape of narrow strips 37a, 37b, 37c,37d and 37e, respectively. Such a construction may be applied forinstance in the back of a garment, the direction of the box pleat beinga direction parallel to the waistband, so that the person wearing thisgarment may effect a trunk exercise without feeling any constraint, evenif said garment is simultaneously fitted on the shoulders and the crotchas in the case of an overall; in such a form of embodiment, the affixingof the stretchable and possibly resilient elements is achieved bysecuring the ends thereof as is seen in FIG. 18, at u and x for instancethrough welding, gluing or sewing.

The form of embodiment of FIG. 19 corresponds to the application andaffixing of an extensible and possibly resilient element 38 onto afraction of the length of a simple pleat 39 provided on a garmentportion 40, the connection being carried out on the garment portion 40on two of the edges ofsaid extensible element which are parallel to thedirection of the pleat.

The method of manufacture according to the invention is fast, of simpleuse and enables obtention of garment articles at relatively low costprices.

It is accordingly appreciated that the invention is applicable to themanufacture of garment articles adapted in particular for protectionpurposes such as blouses and foot-wear articles as well as surgicalapparels.

It is to be understood that the invention is not at all limited to theforms of embodiments described and shown which have been given by way ofexample only. In particular it comprises all the means described as wellas their combinations if same are carried out according to the gist ofthe invention and used within the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A method of assembling in a continuous process utilizing asubstantially continuous assembly line operation formed from anindefinite initial web length of garment material, of at least oneextensible element onto a predetermined portion of said web to be formedsubsequently into a garment component, characterized in that said methodcomprises steps for:

fashioning said predetermined portion of said web so that it becomesdeformable without the web material of said portion being substantiallystretched; providing extensible material;

cutting out said extensible element from said extensible material;

applying said extensible element without any stretching onto saidpredetermined fashioned portion of said web, said web being in a flatrelaxed condition and without any gathering of the web;

affixing said extensible element along a part of its peripheries withoutany stretching onto said portion of said web being in a flat relaxedcondition without any gathering of the web along at least one part ofthe periphery of said predetermined portion of said web and at least atlocations where tractive forces occurring upon expansion of said elementare concentrated, and

separating a garment component which contains said predetermined garmentportion from said web material.

2. A method according to claim 1 characterized in that said fashioningstep of said predetermined portion of said web for assembling it withsaid element is effected so as to enable adequate stretching.

3. A method according to claim 2, characterized in that said fashioningstep comprises cutting at least one opening in said predeterminedportion of said web at an end portion of said portion of said web sothat an opening is provided along the edge of said end portion.

4. A method according to claim 2, characterized in that said fashioningstep comprises cutting an opening in said predetermined portion, saidopening being surrounded on all sides by the material forming saidportion.

5. A method according to claim 4, characterized in that the cutting ofsaid opening is effected without any removal of material from saidpredetermined portion and in the form of at least one slit.

6. A method according to claim 2, characterized in that said fashioningstep comprises the formation of a box pleat in said predeterminedportion.

7. A method according to claim 2, characterized in that said fashioningstep comprises the formation of a simple pleat in said predeterminedportion.

8. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that a plurality ofsaid elements in the form of spaced narrow strips is secured onto saidpredetermined portion in parallel relation to the direction of thetractive forces upon stretching.

9. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that said stretchableelement is endowed with elasticity.

10. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that a patch in theshape of an open flattened tube is secured to said predetermined portionin confronting relationship with said extensible element 11. A methodaccording to claim 1 characterized in that the affixing of saidextensible element is carried out by gluing, welding or sewing.

12. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises afurther step of shaping said predetermined portion of said web to whichsaid extensible element is affixed in order to impart to saidpredetermined portion a configuration conforming to a corresponding bodypart.

13. A method according to claim 1 characterized in that said fashioningof said predetermined portion of said web is effected by cutting of atleast two parallel slits extending perpendicularly to the direction ofsaid tractive forces occurring during expansion of said extensibleelement.

14. A method according to claim 13, characterized in that saidextensible element is also fixed to the material of said predeterminedportion of said web also between at least two of said slits.

1. A method of assembling in a continuous process utilizing asubstantially continuous assembly line operation formed from anindefinite initial web length of garment material, of at least oneextensible element onto a predetermined portion of said web to be formedsubsequently into a garment component, characterized in that said methodcomprises steps for: fashioning said predetermined portion of said webso that it becomes deformable without the web material of said portionbeing substantially stretched; providing extensible material; cuttingout said extensible element from said extensible material; applying saidextensible element without any stretching onto said predeterminedfashioned portion of said web, said web being in a flat relaxedcondition and without any gathering of the web; affixing said extensibleelement along a part of its peripheries without any stretching onto saidportion of said web being in a flat relaxed condition without anygathering of the web along at least one part of the periphery of saidpredetermined portion of said web and at least at locations wheretractive forces occurring upon expansion of said element areconcentrated, and separating a garment component which contains saidpredetermined garment portion from said web material.
 2. A methodaccording to claim 1 characterized in that said fashioning step of saidpredetermined portion of said web for assembling it with said element iseffected so as to enable adequate stretching.
 3. A method according toclaim 2, characterized in that said fashioning step comprises cutting atleast one opening in said predetermined portion of said web at an endportion of said portion of said web so that an opening is provided alongthe edge of said end portion.
 4. A method according to claim 2,characterized in that said fashioning step comprises cutting an openingin said predetermined portion, said opening being surrounded on allsides by the material forming Said portion.
 5. A method according toclaim 4, characterized in that the cutting of said opening is effectedwithout any removal of material from said predetermined portion and inthe form of at least one slit.
 6. A method according to claim 2,characterized in that said fashioning step comprises the formation of abox pleat in said predetermined portion.
 7. A method according to claim2, characterized in that said fashioning step comprises the formation ofa simple pleat in said predetermined portion.
 8. A method according toclaim 1, characterized in that a plurality of said elements in the formof spaced narrow strips is secured onto said predetermined portion inparallel relation to the direction of the tractive forces uponstretching.
 9. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that saidstretchable element is endowed with elasticity.
 10. A method accordingto claim 1, characterized in that a patch in the shape of an openflattened tube is secured to said predetermined portion in confrontingrelationship with said extensible element.
 11. A method according toclaim 1 characterized in that the affixing of said extensible element iscarried out by gluing, welding or sewing.
 12. A method according toclaim 1, characterized in that it comprises a further step of shapingsaid predetermined portion of said web to which said extensible elementis affixed in order to impart to said predetermined portion aconfiguration conforming to a corresponding body part.
 13. A methodaccording to claim 1 characterized in that said fashioning of saidpredetermined portion of said web is effected by cutting of at least twoparallel slits extending perpendicularly to the direction of saidtractive forces occurring during expansion of said extensible element.14. A method according to claim 13, characterized in that saidextensible element is also fixed to the material of said predeterminedportion of said web also between at least two of said slits.